Reported and compiled by Jared Rogers-Martin
Minnesota continues to be one of the best states in the nation according to rankings compiled Politico magazine. Politico rated Minnesota second overall in the nation behind New Hampshire—and received high marks in state high-school graduation, home ownership and unemployment numbers. The ranking were determined by data collected from national organizations like U.S. Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Department of Education.
The Politico rankings indicate that 71.7 percent of Minnesotans own their home, which is the second highest level in the nation. These signs indicate a strong Minnesota economy with an annual per capita income of $31,642– the eleventh best ranking in the nation and rose for the third straight year.
Also rising for the third straight year is the state’s high-school graduation rate. The state graduated 92.6 percent of its high school students according to the Department of Education. Only Alaska graduates more students than Minnesota.
The report also highlights information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that Minnesota has lowered its unemployment rate to 3.5%, which is the 7th lowest rate in the country. Income disparity however continues to be an issue for the state of Minnesota as 11.5 percent of the population lives below the poverty level a number that has not changed since last year according to the Politico report.